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07-07-2004, 12:18 AM

I suppose this might be considered a corollary to SM's question on "good" people doing "bad" things. I remember reading the Diary of Anne Frank years and years ago when I was just a kid, and I remember her writing something to the effect that she believed that all people had some good in their hearts. I have always wanted to agree with her, but, sometimes, its hard, you know? I came across some writing from Adolf Eichmann where he was going on about "good" Germans (then 80 million in number) who had one exceptional or "pet" Jew on whose behalf they were writing a letter asking for clemency. Eichmann went on to say that if each individual "good" German was to believed, well then the entire Jewish race would have to be saved and we wouldn't want that, now would we?

Obviously, Eichmann won the argument against 80 million of his countrymen, but why? Why would 80 million bits of bright light be defeated by the few dozen black holes which constituted the Nazi leadership? Why would a Christian turn the other way in the face of outrages committed by other so-called Christians as George Jr. appears to have done in the face of various atrocities committed by OUR side in the Middle East? I am in no way condoning 9/11 or any other outrage committed by "them" against "us", but do we in our turn need to do things that are inhumane and will only fuel hatred for the Americans as a people by the international community? OK, so wrongs were committed by us in the past, so "they" have committed wrongs in the present; are we going to establish a reign of humanity by the commission of inhumane acts?

Is this the burden that humanity will always bear, to treat one another in an inhumane fashion? Is that bit of good in us all enough to give one hope or is it only an imaginary attribute that only children believe in before they are brought to their ends in whatever death camp is currently in vogue?

07-07-2004, 12:18 AM	#1
marichiko Guest Posts: n/a	What good do you see in it all? I suppose this might be considered a corollary to SM's question on "good" people doing "bad" things. I remember reading the Diary of Anne Frank years and years ago when I was just a kid, and I remember her writing something to the effect that she believed that all people had some good in their hearts. I have always wanted to agree with her, but, sometimes, its hard, you know? I came across some writing from Adolf Eichmann where he was going on about "good" Germans (then 80 million in number) who had one exceptional or "pet" Jew on whose behalf they were writing a letter asking for clemency. Eichmann went on to say that if each individual "good" German was to believed, well then the entire Jewish race would have to be saved and we wouldn't want that, now would we? Obviously, Eichmann won the argument against 80 million of his countrymen, but why? Why would 80 million bits of bright light be defeated by the few dozen black holes which constituted the Nazi leadership? Why would a Christian turn the other way in the face of outrages committed by other so-called Christians as George Jr. appears to have done in the face of various atrocities committed by OUR side in the Middle East? I am in no way condoning 9/11 or any other outrage committed by "them" against "us", but do we in our turn need to do things that are inhumane and will only fuel hatred for the Americans as a people by the international community? OK, so wrongs were committed by us in the past, so "they" have committed wrongs in the present; are we going to establish a reign of humanity by the commission of inhumane acts? Is this the burden that humanity will always bear, to treat one another in an inhumane fashion? Is that bit of good in us all enough to give one hope or is it only an imaginary attribute that only children believe in before they are brought to their ends in whatever death camp is currently in vogue?